Brush fire does damage outside OfficeMax headquarters in Naperville

A brush fire outside the OfficeMax headquarters in Naperville on Monday afternoon caused about $20,000 in damage but no injuries, officials said.

The fire started about 1:40 p.m. on the southeast side of the building in the 200 block of Shuman Boulevard along Interstate Highway 88, said Rick Sander, deputy fire chief. It covered a roughly 100-foot-by-20-foot area, and high winds caused it to spread from mulch to about 50 bushes, he said. The heat also damaged 14 windows.

Crews contained the fire within 10 minutes and spent two more hours soaking the area to prevent it from sparking again.

Roughly 1,500 employees in the facility were evacuated twice, said company spokeswoman Nicole Miller. They re-entered for good about 3 p.m.

"Our associates did a great job following the evacuation procedures safely and in an orderly manner," Miller said.

She called the damage "very minor" and said the company is appreciative of the Fire Department's efforts.

The cause is still under investigation.

Brush fires have been a concern around the area in recent days. The DuPage County Forest Preserve District had two small brush fires Friday in Greene Valley Forest Preserve and Fullersburg Woods, according to the director of land management, Justin Frederick.

"These conditions with high winds, low humidity and lack of rain in the last few days and several weeks have provided ideal conditions for wildfires," Frederick said. "Thankfully with the ecosystems we have, the wildfires are not something to compare to out West."